Former Bellshill councillor Richard Lyle called it the highlight of his life as he won the Uddingston and Bellshill seat for the SNP in the Scottish Parliament election.

After 17 years Michael McMahon lost his seat for Labour by just under 5,000 votes as the SNP completed a whitewash of North Lanarkshire.

Richard Lyle celebrates his victory

Mr Lyle said: “I became a list MSP in 2011, but as far as I’m concerned making me the constituency MSP is the greatest accolade the people of Uddingston and Bellshill can give me.

“We were the same as Labour at one point we weren’t getting a lot of votes, but we worked away and now today in 2016 you see SNP MSPs in every seat in North Lanarkshire and that is a tremendous result.

“This is the highlight of my political career, indeed the highlight of my life, to go from a humble member of the SNP in 1966 to a constituency MSP is just wonderful.”